Tuesday, 27 August 2013

Are you sitting comfortably? This is one hell of a tale.Word & Photography by Simeen KadiName: StoryWhere: 201 Tooley Street, London SE1 Bermondsey, www.restaurantstory.co.uk

Cost: £45 for 6 courses, £64 for 10. Wines start at £6 by the glass.￼About: In the last couple of months Tom Sellers has shot out of nowhere onto foodie headlines. At 26, he has an enviable cheffing cv, having worked at French Laundry and Noma – and I mean worked there properly, not doing a summer stint for free which has now become a rite of passage for any aspiring chef or obsessive foodie. He recently opened on his own, in a corner of Tooley Street that used to be a locked-up loo, now transformed into a bright, slatted wood and glass box with exceptional views of the Shard.

It is true that you can’t get a table for dinner at Story without waiting at least a month for the pleasure. But lunch, even for this Saturday, is still a possibility. And, as the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, there is no need to brush up on your foraged foods compendium beforehand – they may take their cooking seriously, but this is no temple to pretension.What we ate: If you have read anything about Story, you will have read about the Bread and Dripping, a small loaf of sourdough in a leather pouch comes alongside a light relish of veal tongue and veal jelly – I could have spooned up a lot more of those delicious, fatty morsels. Next to it is placed a candle. So far, so what. The candle however, is made of beef dripping and, as it melts and collects in its Wee Willie Winky holder, you can dip your bread into the deep, meaty fat.

Then, with dizzying speed, came a riot of amuses bouche, or pre-starters. Bite-sized creations of real creativity and a great showcase of what this kitchen can do.￼Crunchy Cod’s Skin with Smoked Cod Roe and crispy carrot tops was coated in Powdered Gin Botanicals which tasted like the best taramasalata you could ever have with fleeting moments of juniper and bergamot. The gin flavour had a very good reason to be there and was way beyond a gimmick.Then came Nasturtiums stuffed with Oyster Cream.Followed by Radishes with Seaweed Butter – and I finally understood the whole point of buttered radishes.

Oreo-look-a-likes were made from Squid Ink and filled with Eel Cream with a light dusting of Powdered Vinegar – first the creaminess of the fish and then you are puckering up like you’ve just popped a sour Haribo.

And then it was time for the meal to begin. Taking a break from the eye-popping food arriving at our table, I noticed two food critics, at separate tables. One, a household name, was basking in all the attention he had garnered from other diners and didn’t seem to be paying much attention to the food. Lucky I’m here, I thought, to faithfully retell the adventure.

Burnt Onion, Apple, Gin and Thyme was all about the apple consommé flavoured with gin and a bright green thyme oil which carried the charred onion petals to another level. And then, the freshest slivers of raw Scallop dressed in sweet vinegar and anointed with dill oil. The horseradish cream was too subtle for my over-used palate, as was the dill ash, but the cucumber balls provided a cleansing texture contrast.

Ready for a smack of Mackerel lightly soused, if you please, in Sloe blossom vinegar with thin slices of green strawberries standing guard and the most intense, tongue-tingling jelly made from unripe strawberries. When served like this, mackerel and strawberries is one of the all-time great food combinations – soon to be decimated at some gastro pub near you. My photographic skills were, once again, put to the test and again, let me down badly.

And so to a pat of the best mash served anywhere, dressed with coal oil and asparagus.

And then another sensational flavour combo – Beetroot and Raspberry with Horseradish. Cylinders of beetroot had been marinated in raspberry vinegar and came dressed with a rich reduction of the juices and horseradish snow. Earthy and zingy, with discs of sorrel and thinly sliced raspberries.

Pigeon breast was perfectly cooked and just pink served with a gravy that had been infused with pine needles. The gorse flowers had been plucked on the way into work by one of the chefs. Best of all was the barbecued sea broccoli, which was barbecued and tasted like an intense version of the garden variety. The dish came covered with summer truffles – which are in abundance at restaurants this year and slightly pointless, in my opinion, as they don’t carry the heady aroma of their autumn cousins.

Lemon was a paen to the fruit and possibly the hardest thing I have ever had to photograph. A clear bowl held lemon posing as curd, balm, confit and snow and possibly the best milk ice cream I have ever tasted - not that this photo gives any of it justice.

Prune Tea, Lovage and Milk, I will warn you, comes encased in a thick, chewy milk skin – which I loved, but I am a bit odd like that. The lovage ice cream is stunning.

And so to the denoument. After so many courses of suspense, delight and awe, we were finally coming to the end of this amazing odyssey. Three Bears Porridge involves audience participation and had us rapt, wittering giddily to each other. A picture-book tray carrying three bowls and a sweet but completely un-ergonomic earthenware spoon. Yes, it was our Goldilocks moment. Cheese and shredded hazelnut porridge was perfect for me – salty and nutty. Condensed milk porridge came with burnt sugar and the last was creamy and lemony studded with cardamom.

Teacakes with pillow-soft meringue filling and rose and raspberry jelly were served along with pulled chocolate as petits fours.

Verdict: Story is a great restaurant. The food is masterful and imaginative and the bright openness of the restaurant means you don’t come out blinking, slightly bilious after hours cloistered in starched napery, away from any natural light. And, £45 is a very reasonable price to pay for this kind of skill and invention. It means that diners can return regularly to get the latest instalment of the Tom Sellers saga. I know I will be.

Wednesday, 21 August 2013

About: The Courtesan is a new(ish) bar and restaurant in Brixton where the walls drip with the tears of a courtesan undone and the dim lighting adds to the louche allure. 'Who is free and who captivates?' asks the menu as, indeed, I was captivated by the dim sum and cocktails and found it difficult to prise myself away.

While the decor evokes opium dens of a romanticised Orient, the real attraction here is the dim sum. The cocktails aren't too shabby, either. Owner Hammant Patel Villa has brought together a crack team of dim sum ninjas, alumni of Hakkasan and Royal China, to deliver a dim sum menu that reassures with beautifully executed classics and excites with creative cultural fusions.

What we drank: There is a large selection of exquisite teas but the cocktails are not to be missed. Treacherous Heart was a heady blend of plum wine, Martell, red bean and chili - not for the faint hearted. More delicate but still packing a punch are the cocktails named after the legendary courtesans considered the four great beauties of China - at once sweet and seductive. Xi Shi, named for a woman once considered so beautiful that 'fish forgot to swim', blended Havana 7 year old with Prosecco, Dry Ancienne Curacao and Chrysanthemum honey while the less ethereal Courtier brought together Lapsang Souchong, aged Glenlivet and Laphroig whiskies with Fig liqueur and chili.

What we ate: The menu here is dim sum ranging from the classics to more innovative and creative flourishes such as the Jerk Chicken Parcel in Rice - a genius blend of flavours and a well-judged nod to the restaurant's environs.

Szechuan Style Ribs were slow-cooked and yielding with a crunchy and fiery coating - these are now officially my favourite ribs.

The classics were created with an assured hand and were as good as some of the best in London - Char Siu Buns were filled with an unctuous honey barbecued pork, Soft and chewy Cheung Fun was given an extra dimension with the addition of a crispy layer of beancurd. King Prawn Dumplings were plumply filled with fine, translucent casings but had the added zing of wasabi which worked very well.

Baked dim sum included a Duck Puff which is unusual as most baked puffs contain pork. This one was a buttery and light puff pastry around dense and peppery slow-roasted duck.

Crocodile Bites were commendably cooked but lacked the umami punch or the intoxicating spice of the other dim sum.

Likes: The dim sum is excellent and the cocktails will make you stay longer than you planned. The late licence is another reason to stick around.

Dislikes: Alas, Brixton is a bit of a schlep for me so, sadly, I won't be going as often as I would like.

Verdict: A great addition to the burgeoning Brixton scene and a dimly lit den of seduction - a good alternative to the bright lights of the excellent eateries in nearby Brixton Village.

Friday, 16 August 2013

The best London street food at Truck Stop, my favourite Dim Sum restaurants, Parrilladas galore at meat heaven Buen Ayre, and Saponara's perfect pizze are some of my August foodie recommendations for Heathrow Express readers. If you would like to find out more, visit the Heathrow Express sitehere.

Tuesday, 13 August 2013

A Foodie's Pilgrimage & Pintxo Bar Crawl in San Sebastian!San Sebastian is a fine town in Northeastern Spain, close to the border with France in the Basque Country (its Basque name is Donostia). Small in scale, it has a medieval old town nearest the sea, with a modern area stretching into the mainland. There is an expansive, sandy beach that fronts the city. Easy to get to from the UK given its proximity to Bilbao airport, served by several low-cost airlines, it is an excellent place to spend a few days sampling its sights and wonderful cuisine.

For many years, I had been intending to visit the culinary beacon of San Sebastian, but finally got round to it this year. A compact city of under 200,000 people, it has no fewer than 22 Michelin-starred restaurants, 3 of which have 3 stars, and is a must-visit place for any foodie. But the excellence of the food stretches well beyond these iconic restaurants, and superb quality pintxos (tapas in the Basque country) are available all over the city, particularly in the old town.

Basque cuisine is famous throughout Spain, and many believe it has the best food in the country. Much of this fame comes from San Sebastian and its bars and restaurants. Although tapas were invented in Andalucía, many argue that they have been perfected in this corner of Spain. I found it to be the perfect place for a long weekend of utter indulgence in food and wine.

Where to StayA modern hotel in the new town, the Astoria 7 Hotel is a converted cinema with 102 rooms, conveniently only 10 minutes walk from the beach and old town. Dedicated to the world of cinema, each room is named after a film star or director who has won an award at the San Sebastian Film Festival. The whole building is adorned with photographs of film stars, lit by cinema lighting and even has silent movies permanently on show in the reception.

A figure of Alfred Hitchcock sits on one of the cinema chairs placed in the lobby. Not a surprising homage considering that the man himself had the premiere of one of his most iconic films, Vertigo, at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

Our room was smart and comfortable in shades of dark brown wood, with black, white and red fabrics, classic designer furniture and sleek Scandinavian-inspired pieces. The hotel was elegant, not ostentatious, with an appealingly quirky feel about it.

The cinematic theme carried through to the public areas of the hotel, including the lobby and living room which had an extensive DVD collection, books and other movie memorabilia. If there is any time between meals, the hotel's gym is very well equipped with the latest gear.

The restaurant and bar are busy, and are also open to non-residents. In the morning, continental breakfast is taken in the restaurant. There is a generous buffet with various types of ham, cheese, fruits and pastries, and cooked breakfast items are made to order.

We stayed for two nights at the Astoria 7 Hotel, and were very pleased with our room, the service, food and the overall experience. I would happily return to the quirky Astoria 7 for my next eating spree in San Sebastian. Where to EatPintxo Bar CrawlDuring the three days we were there, we dined at two 3-Michelin starred restaurants, Martin Berasategui and Arzak, but I will be writing more about these in separate posts in the coming weeks. Here, I recount another gastronomic highlight of San Sebastian- a Pintxo Bar Crawl in the old town.

Pintxos, pronounced “pinchos” – are Basque-style tapas. These small, savoury canapés are presented in a myriad of colours, forms and flavour combinations, laid out on giant platters and spread along every counter in town. Twice a day, hundreds of people pour into the streets for a traditional “pintxos crawl,” moving from bar to bar: tasting, drinking and socializing.

Each bar is a specialist in a particular type of pintxos, they will be the very best in town at that one little savoury piece of heaven. So a VERY important word of advice before you set off in your Pintxo Bar Crawl is - do not be tempted to eat more than one or maybe two pintxos per location and move on. Most bars will have the most wonderful spreads laid very temptingly over their counters, but just remember - move on! The next bar is likely to have a similarly delicious spread, so make sure to have a list of every pintxo bar you want to visit and their respective specialties. Be disciplined about it, tick off those pintxos you have tried and go to the next bar, or else you will be missing out!

Most pintxo bars are to be found in the old town, particularly on the streets running parallel to Boulevard but there are masses of other places nearby in the Gros and Centro areas. Most pintxo bars are self service - so ask for a plate and select your own cold tapas by hand and show the bartender your plate, you will be charged accordingly. For hot tapas, you will need to order these to the barmen, they only take a couple of minutes to be ready. Generally a pintxo costs around €1-3, while a glass of wine will set you back a mere €1.5 - €3.

In la Parte Vieja (the Old Town), Calle 31 de Agosto is a great place to start. Some of the town’s best pintxo bars line this street, scattered between traditional Bar La Viña (C/31 de Agosto 3) and avant-garde A Fuego Nero (C/31 de Agosto 31). Other notable stops along the way include Bar Martínez (C/31 de Agosto 9) for a sleek spread of cold pintxos, and La Cuchara de San Telmo (C/31 de Agosto 28 – set back from the street next to the church) this is my favourite pintxos bar in town serving made-to-order haute pintxos. Another favourite pintxo bar on the strip is Casa Gandarias (C/31 de Agosto 23) serving up an array of classic and creative pintxos.

Another stand-out pintxo strip is Calle Pescadería, a short and somewhat difficult to find street, running between Plaza de la Constitucíon and Calle San Juan. Here you’ll find one of San Sebastian's top pintxo bar - Zeruko (C/Pescadería 10) and noteworthy neighbours Txepetxa (C/Pescadería 5) famous for their elaborate menu of marinated anchovies and Bar Tamboril (C/Pescadería 2) for crispy battered shrimp.

If you would like to drink like the locals, try txakoli (pronounced chak-o-lee) – a slightly sparkling Basque white wine – this is a light and dry wine that goes hand in hand with most pintxos. When txakoli is poured, it’s a dramatic event - the bottle is held from a height, creating an impressive two foot stream into a tall glass. This helps to aerate the wine, creating more bubbles.

Txakoli at Casa Gandarias

Our first stop was at Bar Goiz Argi for their specialty - Brocheta de gambas a la plancha or grilled prawn skewers (€2) which were nothing short of sublime. Sweet, with a delicious char-grilled flavour, they were plump and so delicious.

Brocheta de Gambas a la Plancha

I then yielded to temptation and ordered a 2nd pintxo - "Mari Juli" (€2), this was smoked salmon and anchovies and was also excellent. We also had a couple glasses of Spanish white wine at €1.5 each.

Mari Juli - Smoked Salmon and Anchovies

Tiny but busy counter at Bar Goiz Argi

We then moved on to Bar La Cepa on Calle 31 de Agosto. I had been highly recommended this place (as well as most places in this post) by Guan who writes the fantastic blog The Boy Who Ate The World. Guan was adamant we should try La Cepa's hongos a la plancha or grilled wild mushrooms (€20). These were indeed mind-bogglingly wonderful - the combination of meaty grilled mushrooms, sea salt and egg yolk is one I will probably never forget.

Hongos a la Plancha

Then again, I gave in to temptation (you might even think I am not great at following my own advice!) and ordered a plate of Jamon de Jabugo €20.50. Jabugo is an Andalucian town where Iberian ham "de bellota" is made. When ordering Iberian ham, ensure this is "de bellota" which means that the ham come from acorn-fed pigs only (as opposed to pigs fed on grain). It is not cheap but the quality is far superior and the flavour is rich and complex, a real delicacy. We also had two glasses of Rioja Crianza (€2).

Jamon de Jabugo (de Belotta) at La Cepa

Also on Called 31 de Agosto, Casa Gandarias was our next stop. Specialising in Iberian hams and meats as well as other more traditional style pintxos, Dr G and I decided to try their grilled sirloin steak with green pepper and sea salt or pintxo de solomillo (€3.50). Another delicious pintxo which we washed down with glasses of Ribera del Duero Tinta del Pais (€3.35) and sparkling txacoli (€1.50).

Pintxo de Solomillo at Casa Gandarias

Casa Gandaria has enomatic machines (wine dispensing machines) making it easier to decide which wines to order. Most pintxo bars are so noisy, crowded and busy, it is difficult to ask the barmen for the wine options (wine lists are not usually available), the choice in most bars being simply between white or red, and generally I drank what I was given, but luckily these were good quality and value Spanish wines.

Excellent wine choices and enomatic machines at Casa Gandarias

We then moved on to La Cuchara de San Telmo, my favourite pintxo bar in San Sebastian. La Cuchara de San Telmo serves "modern/creative pintxos", cooked to order. This is one of the busiest (and smallest) bars in town, and this is also where my advice just went out of the window as I ordered one dish after next, I just could not help it. We started with carrillera ternera guisada al vino tinto or calf cheeks in red wine (€3.2) which is what they are best known for. The meat was so tender, it melted as it passed our lips.

Slow braised calf's cheek in red wine

La Cuchara is also famous for their foie gras de las landas with apple compote (€3.80) which was what I ordered next. The foie gras was a rather generous piece, grilled and served with apple jam, it was so creamy and delicious and at €3.80, a real steal too.

Foie Gras de las Landas

The risotto cremoso de queso de cabra or goat's cheese risotto (€3.2) was also very good - creamy and cheesy but definitely the weakest link among all the meaty dishes.

Goat's cheese risotto

As Dr G begged me to move on, I saw this huge grilled scallop wrapped in Iberian bacon (vieira "toro" envuelta con tocineta bellota - €3.80) being served to a man next to me. I just had to have it there and then - this was one of the best things I tried during my trip to San Sebastian.

Grilled scallop wrapped in Iberian bacon

Next up was A Fuego Negro a few doors down on Called 31 de Agosto, for their highly creative "pintxos modernos". We started with Makcobe with txips (€3.90), this was a Kobe beef slider with banana chips followed by black rabas or deep-fried calamari (€6.50).

The ultra-hyped A Fuego Negro

The calamari were particularly good, crispy and meaty, and perfectly cooked. We also had two glasses of Ribeira del Duero for €2.60 each. I enjoyed the food here but found the nightclub-style decor and excessively loud music a tad off-putting.

By this point, Dr G and I were getting rather full, but had about 8 other bars still to visit! Had I followed my own advice and ordered 1 pintxo per bar and moved on, I would have probably had a bit more room, but since we didn't, we decided to throw the towel in, finishing the evening off at Bar La Viña.

Renowned for their Tarte de Queso or cheesecake (€5), Bar La Viña is an obligatory stop to finish any decent Pintxos Crawl. I can happily eat a slice or two of cheesecake but I am not a huge fan, particularly when they are stodgy - Bar La Viña's however was like nothing I have eaten before - creamy, light and not overpoweringly sweet, this was a very fine cheesecake. We loved the Tarte de Queso, and enjoyed it with a small glass of Pedro Ximenez (€2.5) and coffee (€1.5).

La Vina's Tarte de Queso

La Cuchara de San Telmo was my favourite pintxo bar in town, we enjoyed it so much that we returned the following day for a quick bite before heading off to the UK, with only 20 minutes to spare.

La Cuchara de San Telmo - returning to my favourite Pintxo Bar in San Sebastian

I couldn't resist the foie gras again (€3.80), and had 2 other dishes - the Pulpo "roca" a la plancha hojas de berzas or grilled rock octopus with sautéed cabbage leaves (€3.60) and the Cochinilho de Segovia asado lentamente or slow-roasted suckling pig from Segovia (€4.2). These were both outstanding, and well worth the mad dash to the bar before driving off to Bilbao for our flight.

Grilled octopus with sauteed cabbage leaves

Slow roasted suckling pig from Segovia

There are still a number of bars Dr G and I were not able to try on this visit to San Sebastian. I am planning another trip in 2014 and this time, we will try and stay for a little longer than 3 days. I have listed in the Travel Essentials section below all the bars that we were lucky enough to try, and also those still on the "Eat List". Let me know if I should add any others!Hotel Astoria 7 Bar & RestaurantOn our first day in San Sebastian, we arrived mid-afternoon, and completely ravenous from an early flight from London to Bilbao plus a 90-minute's drive to San Sebastian. We had a delightful lunch at the Hotel Astoria 7 Bar & Restaurant, who were also very accommodating in serving us at such an awkward hour. The service at the restaurant, as in the entire hotel, was excellent.

The menu degustacion was very reasonably priced at €12 for a starter and dessert, €15 for a main and dessert, or €20 for a full blown 3-course meal. The bar, cafeteria and restaurant are open to the general public and on the day we had our meal there, it was packed with locals. Despite being very hungry, Dr G and I decided to have only a couple of main courses and some wine and save ourselves for the Pintxo Bar Crawl we were about to take on that evening. I had a delicious grilled fillet of hake with a ragout of crab and cauliflower.

Dr G opted for the cod ravioli served with onion confit and a creamy, cheese sauce. Both dishes were light and delicious, and very well made. We skipped dessert, having some strong black espresso coffee to end our meal.

What to Do Aside from the restaurants and bars, swimming or sunbathing on the beach, the Old Town is very picturesque, with numerous fine churches and squares. The newer part of the city also has fine boulevards with some very stylish shops. This is a great place for walks to burn off all those newly acquired calories!

The San Telmo Museum, in a newly restored 16th-centruy Dominican convent, has a varied collection of art. Closed on Mondays, entrance is €5 for adults, except on Tuesdays when it is free for all.

It is only an hour's drive to Bilbao, and we took the opportunity to enjoy Frank Gehry's fabulous Guggenheim Museum there. Entry is €13 including an audioguide.

About Me

Born in Brazil to Japanese and Italian parents, educated in the UK, a true Londoner. Former investment banker turned Cordon Bleu trained chef, food, wine and travel writer, Japanophile and Supper Club host in Islington.

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